Band-saw: removing compacted wet sawdust from blade
 

I am resawing "green" walnut that was felled last week on a 14”
Powermatic band-saw, with the riser option – a 105” blade. The
Powermatic has roller bearing on each side of the saw instead of guide
blocks. I obtained from Suffolk Machinery Corp, the manufacturer of
Timber Wolf™ band-saw blades, a special "rip" blade; this blade is
designed to cut into the end grain as one does cutting planks off a log.
The blade cuts very nicely; I first tried cutting some samples with a
carbide blade and the blade just accumulated the sawdust in its gullets
making further sawing useless. The problem I face is that there is a
white crusty buildup on the blade after sawing maybe 60" of 4" thick
branches. The buildup is mostly sawdust-like, it appears almost like a
white papery substance. I'm thinking it is a mixture of sawdust and
sap? I’ve only been doing some test sawing on 6” branches and making a
few cuts from chunks of the trunk. The buildup seems to be sticking to
blades causing the blade to not smoothly go through the band rollers.
At some points, the buildup seems almost like paper, but a paper that
sticks to the blade. Maybe the use of roller bearings is causing
increasing compression and build-up each time an affected portion of the
blade passes through the guide?

Does anyone have an opinion of what this buildup is? Sap and sawdust?
Wet sawdust that has been dried by heat buildup?

Does anyone have a solution to remove the buildup that would allow me to
avoid removing the blade from the band-saw? As I am writing this, I’m
wondering if I should try installing guideblocks and see if the blocks
act as a scraper. I’m wondering if there is an alternative substance I
might saw that will act as a cleaning agent. Sawing for several feet
and then having to clean the blade off the machine is not a practical
solution. Since this is my first experience cutting "green" wood, I
don't know if this is typical for all green wood, or something unique to
walnut, or something unique to my blade guide system when working with
wet wood.

My experience has only been sawing dried wood, so the problem is novel
to me. Duginske's book, Band Saw Handbook, does not offer any
suggestions for in place cleaning of a blade, nor has my search of the
newsgroup rec.woodworking produced anything on point.

A close-up photograph of the blade covered with the build-up can be
viewed at my website at:

http://www.editionspoole.com/john/wo...de_buildup.htm

I’m contacting Suffolk Machinery, too.


John Poole

Band-saw: removing compacted wet sawdust from blade
 

"John L. Poole" wrote in message
. com...
I am resawing "green" walnut that was felled last week on a 14”

Snip


A close-up photograph of the blade covered with the build-up can be viewed
at my website at:

http://www.editionspoole.com/john/wo...de_buildup.htm

I’m contacting Suffolk Machinery, too.


John Poole

That is only one of the reasons that I do not like roller bearing guides. I
had the same Problem with my 18" Rikon.
I bit the bullet and stepped up to a Laguna with ceramic guides.
Use blade cleaner to remove the residue. CMT Formula 2050 works decently.

Band-saw: removing compacted wet sawdust from blade
 

John L. Poole wrote:
I am resawing "green" walnut that was felled last week on a 14”
Powermatic band-saw, with the riser option – a 105” blade. The
Powermatic has roller bearing on each side of the saw instead of guide
blocks. I obtained from Suffolk Machinery Corp, the manufacturer of
Timber Wolf™ band-saw blades, a special "rip" blade; this blade is
designed to cut into the end grain as one does cutting planks off a log.
The blade cuts very nicely; I first tried cutting some samples with a
carbide blade and the blade just accumulated the sawdust in its gullets
making further sawing useless. The problem I face is that there is a
white crusty buildup on the blade after sawing maybe 60" of 4" thick
branches. The buildup is mostly sawdust-like, it appears almost like a
white papery substance. I'm thinking it is a mixture of sawdust and
sap? I’ve only been doing some test sawing on 6” branches and making a
few cuts from chunks of the trunk. The buildup seems to be sticking to
blades causing the blade to not smoothly go through the band rollers. At
some points, the buildup seems almost like paper, but a paper that
sticks to the blade. Maybe the use of roller bearings is causing
increasing compression and build-up each time an affected portion of the
blade passes through the guide?

Does anyone have an opinion of what this buildup is? Sap and sawdust?
Wet sawdust that has been dried by heat buildup?

Does anyone have a solution to remove the buildup that would allow me to
avoid removing the blade from the band-saw?

Try a rag or paper towel soaked in a solvent (lighter fluid, if you have
it) and come at the blade from the rear while you turn the upper wheel
under tension.

er
--
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Band-saw: removing compacted wet sawdust from blade
 

In article ,
"John L. Poole" wrote:

Maybe the use of roller bearings is causing
increasing compression and build-up each time an affected portion of the
blade passes through the guide?

I have a Delta BS with Carter rollers and have the same problem when
roughing out green turning blanks. The rollers just pack the wet sawdust
to the blade and roller surfaces.

I scrape the residue off the blade with a razorblade or other small
metal edge while hand-rotating the upper wheel in a reverse direction
(so the teeth don't grab the scraper). A ScotchBrite on the rollers
cleans them up. It's not difficult and doesn't take that long to get
back to sawing.

It is important to remove the compacted residue at the end of a session
though as it will rust the blade body if left on - as well as becoming
extremely difficult to remove when hardened... speaking from experience.

I looked into replacing the Carters but the standard block setup would
have set me back a couple hundred for all the replacement parts.
--
Owen Lowe
The Fly-by-Night Copper Company
__________

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Corporate States of America and to the
Republicans for which it stands, one nation,
under debt, easily divisible, with liberty
and justice for oil."
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